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The little-known reason that some trees get a strip of purple paint
If you’re out walking and come across a tree with a line of purple paint, then you might want to run because you’re actually on private land.
Though TikTok might be packed with silly videos like the temporary tattoo hair trend, it’s also a great app for spreading information and keeping people updated. A recent example could be the scientist who was forced to issue a warning about lava.
What does purple paint on a tree mean?
With summer in full bloom and fall now just a few months away, millions of Americans are trying to squeeze hiking and outdoor activities into a small timeframe. As such, it’s important to understand safety concerns in outdoor spaces and hiking trails.
While you might have already sorted your dog’s hot weather care, and perhaps even purchased a bear spray, you might not be aware of Purple Paint laws.
If you come across a tree or fence post with purple paint on, you should definitely turn the other way because purple paint denotes private property in many States. What’s more, you could come face-to-face with the barrel of a gun thanks to lax firearm laws and overwhelming safety concerns.
Though it’s not immediately clear why the color purple was chosen, officials felt as though a single color was easier than mass-produced signs.
The advantage to signage is that anyone who is walking by a boundary can easily read that theres a private land boundary, Andy Mossey, the stewardship and advocacy coordinator at the Catskill Center, told the Times Union in 2021. If its just purple paint with no signage, people may be less likely to understand what that is unless the state itself and organizations across the state have done a significant job getting that info across to all visitors.”
Which States have purple paint laws?
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- WestVirginia
It’s also worth noting that purple paint in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia prohibits hunting and fishing, not walkers.
Furthermore, there are some outliers when it comes to dissuading trespassers, with Idaho, Montana, and Nevada using orange paint. Arizona and Utah also use orange paint, but only to prohibit hunting and fishing.
To further confuse you, Maryland uses blue paint and Nebraska uses red, the Mail Online reported.
